1. Field of the Invention
The invention relates to image data registering apparatus and method, a storage medium, and a program product, for registering image data stored in a detachable memory.
2. Related Background Art
An image input/output (I/O) apparatus connected to a host computer through a network receives PDL (page description language) data such as document data, image data, or the like formed on the host computer and transmitted therefrom, develops it from the received PDL to a bit map image, stores it onto a built-in hard disk, reads out the image data from the built-in hard disk, and prints it out.
The built-in hard disk is logically divided and the divided area can be allocated to an individual or a group. The divided area allocated as mentioned above is called a personal box.
The personal box on the hard disk built in the image I/O apparatus is designated from the host computer and print data can be stored in the designated personal box. However, to read out the print data stored in the personal box, it is necessary that a password for accessing to the personal box is inputted from an operating unit of the image I/O apparatus. It is possible to prevent a risk such that the print data is printed out by a third party who does not know the password.
According to such an image I/O apparatus, the print data can be deleted by the manual operation from the operating unit of the image I/O apparatus lest there is no empty area of the personal box is eliminated due to the accumulated print data, and after the elapse of a preservation term which has been preset for the personal box, the accumulated data can be automatically deleted.
There has also been known an image input/output apparatus such that in addition to such a function, an image data file and a DPOF (Digital Print Order Format) file is read out from a removable external storage medium for use in storage of an image file by a digital camera and stored onto a hard disk built in the image I/O apparatus, and the image data can be read out from the hard disk and printed out.
The DPOF is a format for recording auto print-out information (property). The DPOF file (property file) is a text file. Information regarding a user name, an address, a telephone number, kind of print, the number of sheets, a format of the image file, etc. is included in the DPOF file. As features of the DPOF file, the following features can be mentioned: namely, a structure is simple; a burden on equipment is light; it does not depend on an image format or a directory structure; one DPOF file has properties of a plurality of image files; and an arbitrary recording medium such as CF, smart media, FD, or the like can be used.
An image input/output apparatus which can directly read out the print data stored in the removable external storage medium as mentioned above does not exist. On the host computer side, the print data is read out of the removable external storage medium and the read-out print data is transmitted to the image I/O apparatus. Print conditions are set from the host computer or the operating unit of the image I/O apparatus. As mentioned above, it is very inconvenient to use the removable external storage medium as a storage medium of the image I/O apparatus itself.
The image files stored in the personal boxes from the removable external storage medium are preserved only for a predetermined fixed preservation term and automatically deleted after the elapse of the preservation term, so that the user cannot manage the preservation term of the print data.
It is the first object of the invention to solve the foregoing problems and provide image processing apparatus and method, in which image formation data which has print conditions and has been stored in a removable external storage medium can be stored from the image processing apparatus to a personal box.
It is the second object of the invention to solve the foregoing problems and provide image processing apparatus and method, in which a preservation term in a personal box which has previously been stored in a removable external storage medium can be preferentially set.
To accomplish the above objects, according to the invention, there is provided an image data registering apparatus comprising: connecting means for connecting a detachable memory for storing image data and specific information which specifies the image data; display means for displaying a designating picture plane for designating the image data to be registered on the basis of the specific information read out from the memory; area designating means for designating an area in which the image data is registered; and registering means for registering the image data designated by the designating picture plane into the memory area designated by the area designating means.
To accomplish the above objects, according to the invention, there is provided an image data registering apparatus comprising: connecting means for connecting a detachable memory for storing image data and specific information which specifies the image data; area designating means for designating an area in which the image data is registered; and registering means for registering the image data specified by the specific information read out from the memory into the memory area designated by the area designating means.
To accomplish the above objects, according to the invention, there is provided an image data registering apparatus comprising: connecting means for connecting a detachable memory for storing image data and information showing a preservation term of the image data; registering means for registering the image data read out from the memory; and deleting means for deleting the image data registered by the registering means on the basis of the information read out from the memory and showing the preservation term.